Forever Yours
by presea221
Summary: Just a little holiday fluff with my favorite pairing. A belated tribute to Aster Phoenix's birthday (December 19th). Rareshipping.


**AN: I'm a little late on it, but here is a birthday tribute (based on his manga birthdate of December 19****th****) to the GX character that is sadly underrepresented and mostly seems to be forgotten in fanfiction nowadays: Aster/Edo Phoenix. It also has a holiday theme to it, too. Warning: This is also Rareshipping (AsterxAlexis), and it is about to get EXTREMELY sappy. So, if you don't feel like you can handle that or the pairing itself, now may be the time to turn back, if you even made it past the story summary to begin with. Anyways, hope you enjoy and happy (belated) birthday and holidays to Aster Phoenix and all fans of him!**

It was a quiet winter night in Domino City on December nineteenth. A light snow fell outside the lighted windows of Aster's penthouse that reflected the glow of the strings of colored Christmas lights strung along the walls and tree inside. A warm, crackling fire blazed steadily in the electric fireplace in the living room. However, now, Aster and his girlfriend, Alexis were in the opulent dining room, clearing away the dishes and silverware from the dinner that they had made together earlier.

"So, you never have told me just how you ever ended up becoming such an amazing cook." Alexis said teasingly to Aster as she carried a plate to the sink.

"Well, if you're hoping for some epic tale behind the origins of this one of the many talents of mine, I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment. Simply put, once my career in the pros started to really take off, I discovered that eating alone was a lot easier than dealing with the hassle of all the attention I'd get from dining out or even picking up takeout. Heck, even the pizza delivery guy wanted me to sign about five autographs and get a picture of me on his phone. So, I learned how to fend for myself." Aster explained.

"Oh, the woes of being a celebrity duelist. Poor baby…" Alexis joked sarcastically.

"But now I have you to help me." Aster said with a sly grin.

Alexis sighed in frustration. "All I did was help you assemble, not cook. There's a big difference between the two, I'm afraid." She complained.

Having been used to her parents' or Atticus always making all the family meals, Alexis was more than a bit…unfamiliar with her way around the kitchen. Something that Aster had learned the hard way when she had once accidentally left a burn mark on the kitchen wall while trying to help him make a curry stew dish. Since then, he had been too afraid to allow his girlfriend anywhere near the stove or any other device that aided in the preparation of food. So, Alexis stuck to simpler tasks like setting the table or handing Aster anything when he needed it.

"It helps all the same, though. And I like having you with me when I cook." Aster reassured gently.

"I know. It's just that I wanted to be able to do everything for you since it's your birthday…" Alexis sighed.

"And I enjoy this arrangement more, so it works out better for my birthday." Aster insisted.

"Alright. I guess I can't argue with an arrangement that is easier for us both as long as you enjoy it." Alexis compromised, unable to stop herself from smiling at her boyfriend's uncanny ability to almost always reason something out so that she felt better about it than before.

Xxx

Clearing the table had taken a little longer than it normally would for a meal for two because of the time it took to get everything off from the ridiculously long dining room table. Aster was already enough like Batman what with his past and quest to avenge his parents that started with his masked superhero disguise from his vigilante days. But the fact that he also seemed to be playing as Bruce Wayne with his idea that they should sit on the opposite ends of that table like in the movie made Alexis think he was taking it a bit too far.

Thankfully, with the kitchen clean-up chores done for the moment, Alexis and Aster were able to relax in the living room now. Alexis was about to give Aster his birthday present, and she couldn't wait to see his reaction. After seemingly endless thought and preparation put into the idea, Alexis was confident that she had gotten something truly meaningful for Aster as a gift. It was difficult to come up with the right gift for the guy who could already have anything that money could buy, so she had decided to try to go beyond that.

"Okay, now sit down, right over there. Are you ready for your birthday present!?" Alexis asked excitedly.

Aster couldn't help smiling at his girlfriend's enthusiasm. She looked adorable in a cute and festive red sweater dress with gold sparkles, complemented by the heart-shaped emerald birthstone pendant he had bought for her last year. But more than anything, the slight flush on her cheeks along with her wide smile and beautiful hazel eyes shining with excitement was enough to make him melt right there on the spot.

"Alright, alright! I'm ready. You've kept me in suspense long enough today with all your hints." Aster said with a smile.

Alexis reached under the sofa and revealed a regular-sized square-shaped package wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper with yellow moon and star designs all over it. After handing it gently to Aster, he proceeded to tear off the paper slowly to enjoy every moment of anticipation.

Once he gotten the wrapping off, Aster looked questioningly at the gift before him. It was a simple, red large-sized binder. Curiously, he opened it up to see if anything was inside. What he saw almost made him forget how to speak. There were dozens of photos printed out of him and Alexis from when they had first started dating, all the way until now. And those weren't the only mementos. Along with the photos were things like old tickets to his pro league matches of his Alexis had been to, tickets to events like movies, plays, sporting matches and other things they had gone to together, old receipts, and even old unwanted duel monsters cards they had gotten out of packs when buying booster packs together.

"Alexis… I don't know what to say. This is…" Aster trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. He suddenly felt choked up with emotion.

"Do you like it? It's us. I had the pictures from my phone converted into pictures, and the rest I gathered up from what I had saved before. I wanted to get you something that really shows just how much our time together so far means to me, Aster. Every moment I've had with you is priceless and I want to make sure that you'll have an easy way to look back and remember everything. Especially if I end up getting a chance to study overseas at that University in America like I want to. That way, you'll at least have this whenever we can't find the time to visit or talk to each other…" Alexis explained. She had to control her voice at the last part to stop herself from tearing up at the thought of what would happen after graduation when they would have to part ways. Of course, she loved Aster more than anything and would do whatever it took to make a long-distance relationship between them work. But she knew that they had different career goals with him travelling around the world as a pro duelist while she (hopefully) became a teacher in one location. And she wouldn't ask Aster to give up his dream for her or sacrifice her own.

Aster placed his hands firmly on Alexis' shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.

"Alexis, this means more to me than any other gift you could have gotten for me, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for it. But I'm a little confused about one thing: Just what made you believe that we won't be together after graduation?" Aster said seriously.

Alexis looked at Aster in surprise. "But you're going to be travelling everywhere as a pro duelist! I know it will be hard at first, but we can make this work. So, if you're having any ideas about quitting just to please me, please don't, Aster. You have always supported my dream, so I don't want you to have to give up yours for me!" She insisted.

"But who says that dueling is the only thing I want to do with my life? Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the game and interacting with a lot of my fans. But it isn't everything. I became a pro duelist so that I could have an easy way to travel the world to find my father's murderer and put him to justice. But that part of my life has been over now since last year after I dueled the D and got Destiny Hero Plasma back from him. After that, I was finally ready to start the next chapter of my life with you. More than anything, I enjoyed being able to meet and help the fans of mine who were orphans like me or dealt some other horrible hand in life that they can't control. And I'd like to do something to help them on a much deeper level like you want to with becoming a teacher. So, once you graduate, I'll come to America with you. I already have my own property there that was left to me after my father died from when we both lived there together when he worked for Industrial Illusions. After all, I am technically American myself. And I can easily move anywhere close by to where you'll be staying or get a place for us if you want. I'd be able to apply for a position as a school psychologist or something else where I can help children deal with their problems. Since I already have two PhDs, it won't be hard for me to get work, and I have plenty of money either way. Believe me, Alexis. I love you and this is what I _want_ for us. Since the day I fell in love with you, I've been in this for life. So, I don't want us to ever be apart." Aster explained passionately.

Aster had every faith in what he had told Alexis about their future. It was a decision he had made for a while now, and it was the dream he wanted more than anything for them. He hadn't been ready to think more about his future or even have the courage to admit his own feelings to the girl he loved back when he was still consumed with the desire for revenge. The D had told him that night on his boat that he was still just a frightened little boy who was unable to start moving forward from his past, and he had been right. But once the duel had been won and the D was gone, time had finally started to move forward for Aster again now that justice had been served and he had laid his father to rest.

For a moment, Alexis couldn't respond. This was beyond anything that she could have hoped for. To know that Aster shared the same type of dream as her and that he could easily find a way for them to be together for the next chapter of their life. To be reminded again of just how much he loved her… Before she could stop it, her eyes started to water and spilled over with tears of joy. Unable to contain herself anymore, Alexis threw her arms around Aster and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Aster! I love you too, and I want us to stay together, too! I wanted to talk about this sooner, but I was just so afraid that you wouldn't want to do something like this or that I would just end up forcing you away from what you really wanted to do. But now that I know you want this, I'm just so…happy." Alexis said emotionally.

"Well, that's a relief then. I'm glad that we talked about this. And don't worry, I'll still treasure this gift that you made for me just as much. So, you don't have to worry about this turning into a _Gift of the Magi _type scenario." Aster reassured Alexis, his tone a bit teasing at the end.

"I love you, Aster Phoenix. Happy Birthday." Alexis said softly.

As she looked at the boy she loved, Alexis saw everything about him and more that she had come to treasure and appreciate. How they were usually seen as nothing more than celebrity figures, idolized for their looks and dueling abilities, but had both managed to find inspiration from dueling itself to realize their dreams of helping others. How their fierce need to protect and do justice for their families had led them on a search for answers of their own. Wanting to have the strength to save their brothers or anyone else in need with their own strength (even though they had nonetheless been grateful for the help in rescuing Atticus and Sartorius whenever they couldn't themselves.) Everything and more that had ended up bringing them together. It was this moment more than anything that made Alexis realize that they were inseparable.

"I love you too, Alexis Rhodes. I have learned that destiny is not something that is set in stone, and I believe that we are together like this due to creating our own for each other. You are my angel of that destiny and will be forevermore…" Aster promised softly.

Aster pulled Alexis into a warm embrace, and with that, the two lovers were lost in each other in the deep and passionate kiss, completely content and blissfully happy in their own world together that they had made for each other.


End file.
